BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. - The Gardner-Webb women's soccer team picked up its first victory of 2025 on Sunday night at Greene-Harbison Stadium, with nine different players scoring in a 10-2 victory over visiting South Carolina State

The Runnin' Bulldogs wasted no time on Sunday night in Boiling Springs, grabbing the first goal within six minutes. Junior forward Olivia Tribolet buried a shot from senior defender Camila Lezcano abd sophomore defender Tanner Michael for a 1-0 lead. By the 13th minute, Gardner-Webb had doubled its lead. Freshman forward Ila Allred slipped through the defense for her first goal in red and black, making the score 2-0.

After SC State clawed one back in the 31st minute, GWU would answer with three consecutive goals to enter halftime up 5-1. Senior forward Kaitlyn Huff scored her first of the season from graduate midfielder Valeria Ruffo in the 34th, junior midfielder Lily Stegall converted a penalty in the 41st, then freshman forward Julia McBride curled one into the side netting in the 43rd to complete the five-goal first half.

Lezcano slipped behind the SC State defense on the near side off the assist from Tribolet in the 46th to add a sixth goal for Gardner-Webb, before Tribolet herself made it a brace in the 49th for a 7-1, Dawgs lead. By this point, Gardner-Webb had scored five goals in the 18 minutes of game time after SC State got on the board.

Ruffo would add a goal to her scoring column to go with her earlier assist in the 56th minute to make it 8-1, before two more first goals for GWU wrapped up the night. Freshman forward Azsa Leighton rocketed one into the side netting by herself in the 76th minute, before junior midfielder Leanna Saleh headed home a 10th goal, direct from a corner, on the perfect delivery from freshman midfielder Madison Reynolds.

SC State added its second goal in the 79th minute, with the Runnin' Bulldogs long since pulling away late in the first half and didn't let up in the second half of a 10-2 win.

LEADERS
Tribolet scored her second and third goals of the season on Sunday night, leading GWU with two goals in the contest. Ruff, Allred, McBride, Leighton and Saleh scored the first goals of their GWU careers, while Stegall, Lezcano and Huff were on the board for the first time this season.

34 players would see the pitch for GWU on Sunday, including 19 minutes from freshman defender Emma O'Rourke, 26 minutes from freshman midfielder Eleni Lagusis, 17 minutes from freshman forward Ella Meccia, and 17 minutes from freshman midfielder Ellie Breitenstein, among several others.

Gardner-Webb finished the game with a 26-7 advantage in shots, 16-4 lead in shots on goal, and eight corner kicks to just one for SC State.

FROM COACH SOLBERG
I thought it was a comprehensive performance from our team. I thought we played really well the other night but we just weren't clinical with our chances against Wofford, and that was really the goal and the message tonight, that we wanted to come out and send a message about what we're capable of. We played with a purpose. We played ready to go get a win and and we did that, so yeah really proud of the team for a comprehensive performance and excited to build on this. We've got a lot of growth to continue to do. We're a young team. We haven't been in these situations a lot, but for us to come out tonight and play a team that's played some teams really tight and send the message I thought was really, really important.

UP NEXT
The Runnin' Bulldogs now hit the road for four straight road games, starting with The Citadel at 5 pm on Thursday, September 4th